Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) Receives Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• "Moderate Buy" consensus from 23 analysts (1 sell, 4 hold, 16 buy, 2 strong buy) with an average 12‑month price target of $188.75.
• Shares opened at $131.52 (1‑year range $103.71–$192.67) with a market cap of about $314.6B and a P/E of ~24.8; last quarter EPS was $0.13 on $40.71B revenue and analysts project ~4.33 EPS for the year.

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-three research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, sixteen have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $188.75.

Several research firms have recently weighed in on BABA. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $225.00 to $212.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Nomura lifted their price objective on Alibaba Group from $193.00 to $237.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Erste Group Bank downgraded Alibaba Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Alibaba Group from $215.00 to $205.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Argus raised Alibaba Group to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th.

Alibaba Group Price Performance

Shares of BABA opened at $131.52 on Friday. Alibaba Group has a 1 year low of $103.71 and a 1 year high of $192.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 1.33 and a quick ratio of 1.33. The company has a market capitalization of $314.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.50. The business has a 50-day moving average of $133.05 and a 200-day moving average of $151.25.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Saturday, February 14th. The specialty retailer reported $0.13 EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $40.71 billion for the quarter. Alibaba Group had a return on equity of 7.43% and a net margin of 9.12%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Alibaba Group will post 4.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alibaba Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC increased its position in Alibaba Group by 26.4% in the 3rd quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 302 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Bluesphere Advisors LLC grew its stake in Alibaba Group by 2.2% in the third quarter. Bluesphere Advisors LLC now owns 3,023 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $540,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the period. Richardson Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in Alibaba Group by 34.4% in the third quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 254 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the period. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 1.0% during the third quarter. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC now owns 6,661 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,191,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the period. Finally, Bleakley Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 16,420 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $2,407,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. 13.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Alibaba Group Company Profile

Alibaba Group Holding Limited is a Chinese multinational conglomerate founded in 1999 in Hangzhou, China, by Jack Ma and a group of co‑founders. The company built its business around internet-based commerce and related services and has grown into one of the largest e-commerce and technology companies in the world. Alibaba completed a high‑profile initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in 2014.

The company operates a portfolio of online marketplaces and platforms serving different customer segments: Alibaba.com for global and domestic B2B trade, Taobao for consumer-to-consumer shopping, and Tmall for brand and retailer storefronts targeted at Chinese consumers.

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